With the high amount of genericanimereleased lately with overused plots and recycled tropes, discovering series that seem like one thing and turn out to be another is very gratifying and hard to find. However,there are still some anime with incredible plot twists where viewers can’t predict anything about what is going to happen next.
A good number of anime feature mind-blowing plot twists that will amaze any viewer, but the most surprising ones are those that redefine the series into a completely different plot. Either with a drastic change of tone, a revelation of a character’s real nature or past that recontextualizes the previous events in the story, or a shocking pivoting event that takes the conflicts to a new unpredictable height, some ofthese anime plot twists were impossible to see coming and pull an incredible surprise in the audience.
Made in Abyssis a fine example of an anime that appears to be one thing but hides something very different. With a childlike aesthetic and charismatic characters, viewers thought they were in for a threat of a lighthearted adventure of a couple of kids looking for their identity and a lost family member. However, what the layers of the abyss hide was something darker than what the audience could have imagined.
AsMade in Abyssprogresses, different events make viewers discard any preconceived ideas of the plot, leaving hints that it is in fact obscure. Yet, once it’s unveiled how the curse of the Abyss works and Nanachi’s backstory is shown, revealing the truth about Mitty, the audience can’t help but be disturbed by such a crude twist that it’s nothing compared to what’s to come in the story.
8Deca-Dence
Original Anime Series by Studio NUT and Directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa
InDeca-Dence,the gigantic monster Gadolls destroyed most of the entire human population, forcing the survivors to be locked in a traveling city in the form of a fortress. With this premise,Deca-Dencefeatured an intriguing enough first episode to make viewers tune in for the following. However, the secondepisodecompletely blew away everything that the audience thought they understood about Deca-Dence’s story, turning the world in the most unpredictable way.
WhileDeca-Denceoriginally seemed like the typical seriesinspired byAttack on Titanand other animes focusing on survival from gigantic monsters, this world’s set-up changed after the pilot episode, presenting the true plot of the story going forward in a brilliant way that only shined a light on what was initially presented without contradicting anything and recontextualizing the series into a new direction. This plot twist was so well-executed that managed to draw the interest of the audience.
Cautious Herois, just as its name implies, a story about an excessively cautious hero despite being extremely powerful. The anime starts as a hilarious isekai that doesn’t follow the typical hero’s journey or fall into the tropes of the genre or imitate them, but rather it uses them to make fun of them, continually making viewers laugh during its run. However,behind all the funny situations and jokes,Cautious Herohid a tragedy.
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Nothing could prepare viewers for the last episodes ofCautious Hero, whose plot twist was flawlessly executed. After the revelation, not only did the previous events in the story take on a new meaning, but it also showed that Seiya’s aggressive demeanor and indifference hid something deeper. This way,Cautious Hero, more than just making fun of the isekai’s clichés, plays with the emotions of its audience.
Gurren Lagann
Cast
Gurren Lagann is an anime series set in a future where humans live in underground villages. The story follows Simon and Kamina, who break free to the surface and pilot the titular mecha to fight against oppressive forces.
Gurren Lagannis a classic anime that presents a post-apocalyptic world where people have been forced to live in underground towns.The first change inGurren Lagann’s plot comes early as Simon and Kamina discover that the surface is very differentfrom what they have been told, with robots controlled by Ganmen and used to make their way in that strange environment.
The anime features one of the most emotional scenes in anime that shocked viewers in episode 7, changing the tone and stakes of the series, and proving that the initial revelation of the Ganmen isn’t the only one.Gurren Lagannoffers continuous surprises, totally unexpected plot twists, and a constant evolution that never stops, increasingly expanding the world and always shattering viewers’ expectations. The events inGurren Lagannunfold at lightning speed, becoming a heroic tale of a universal scale.
Samurai Flamencois one of those anime that is difficult to describe due to its very convoluted nature and full of plot twists that leave viewers wondering what they just saw.Samurai Flamencoepisode 7 features one of the most infamous plot twists in the anime medium—and a must-watch one—that blows viewers' minds due to the abruptness of the change in tone of the story, demonstrating that the anime is clearly divided into several contrastingly different story arcs.
It’s from this point on thatSamurai Flamencochanges completely, from a realistic comic slice of life to a hardcore super sentai much in the style of Kamen Rider or Power Rangers. While this wasn’t as well-received by some viewers, there’s no doubt thatSamurai Flamencoknew how to take the audience by surprise for better or worse.
Attack On Titan
Based on the manga, Attack on Titan is a dark-action fantasy series set in a world where humanity has been corralled into walled cities from fear of monstrous human-eating Titans that exist outside of them. When protagonist Eren Yeager’s mother is killed in front of his eyes at a young age, his thirst for vengeance leads him to join an elite group of soldiers created to fight back against the Titan menace.
Attack on Titanmay need no introduction, but those who haven’t given it a chance, believing the story is only focused on teenage soldiers inside a wall fighting human-eating titans, are in for a wild ride.Attack on Titanis full of plot twists,each one being more surprising than the last, as the nature of the story is unveiling the truth behind the creation of the walls that enclose humanity and what exactly the titans are.
However, after the Battle of Shinganshima, when the Survey Corps finally uncovers the secret in the basement of Eren Yeager’s house,Attack on Titanredefines its story with the most surprising plot twist that highlights all the foreshadowing in the storyand takes the conflicts to a new level with the introduction of Marley, cementing the anime’s status as a masterpiece in the medium that will be talked about from years to come.
Odd Taxiis an unconventional series that has become one of thebest underrated animefollowing the story of Hiroshi Odokawa, an anthropomorphic walrus taxi driver in his forties with an apathetic attitude who listens to the anecdotes of his passengers behind the wheel and who has great insight and mental agility to answer his clients in the most appropriate way. Even though viewers are often taken aback by animes with anthropomorphized characters likeBeastarsandAggretsuko, inOdd Taxi it is a narrative decision that makes more sense as the episodes go by.
Odokawa gets involved in a missing person’s case and the series slowly unveils the identity of the culprit. Moreover,the anime’s plot line might seem unconnected, but everything built up in the story works effectivelyby the end, whereOdd Taximakes some big reveals that leave viewers flabbergasted, as the series actually presents a rigorous portrait of today’s society.
From the New Worldisn’t as well-known as other series, but it’sone of the best sci-fi anime with an intriguing, mysterious, and sometimes terrifying story. The anime presents a group of children with psychic powers in an apparent utopia who discover the truth about the place where they live. This way, the story raises several questions in the audience, answering them in a way that leaves everyone speechless.
From the New Worldis psychological and difficult to digestas it is a bit strange for some, and the first 8 episodes serve as an introduction and worldbuilding, being a bit slow. However, it is from this point that the plot reaches its potential, becoming brutal and extremely intelligent by featuring a corrupt society and the dark side of human nature and what they are capable of.
Madoka Magicahas an aesthetic similar to the classic magical girl series likeSailor MoonorTokyo Mew Mew, with clothing with lace and frills, magical weapons, and an adorable pet. However, the anime presents a marked contrast between its cute design and its psychological plot. The first point of no return in the story happens just a few episodes in, where the story becomes more twisted, proving to be darker and more bizarre than what it sells.
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Afterward, the series spirals into a hellish chaos where the viewers never know what is going to happen. Furthermore,Madoka Magicapresents several twists during its runthat keep viewers at the edge of their seats, and they can’t help but binge-watch everything despite its emotionally charged and dark events. The twist intensifies inPuella Magi Madoka Magica: Rebellion, which is even more surprising than the original series.
